Skin cleanser

ABSTRACT

A skin cleanser includes a surface, such as a silicone surface, with at least one textured portion for transmitting vibrational tapping to the skin. The skin cleanser includes at least one oscillating motor for generating the tapping motion to the skin. The textured portion in touch-points or a wave that transmit the tapping motion to skin in contact with the to portions. The touch-points may include thicker and thinner formations of the touch-points to provide firmer or softer vibrations to the skin. The touch-points are within about 0.5 to 2.5 mm in diameter. One configuration includes multiple oscillating motors configured to provide different vibration frequencies at around 50-300 Hertz and operable simultaneously.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Non-provisional U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/429,394, filed Jun. 3, 2019, which is acontinuation of Non-provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/295,446, filed Mar. 7, 2019, which is a continuation ofNon-provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/007,078, filed Jun.13, 2018, which is a continuation of Non-provisional U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/893,971, filed Feb. 12, 2018, which is acontinuation of Non-provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/397,976, filed Jan. 4, 2017, which is a continuation ofNon-provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/572,519, filed Dec.16, 2014, which is a continuation of Non-pro visional U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/149,793, filed Jan. 7, 2014, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/749,751, filed Jan. 7,2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/841,542, filed Jul. 1,2013. Each of these related applications is incorporated by referenceinto this disclosure in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Skin health and appearance is an important aspect of many beautyregimens. Typical skin care focuses on particular creams or lotions tobe applied to the skin, usually performed manually by sponge or brush.Cleaning by hand often fails to adequately apply lotions to the skin,and can be ineffective at removing grease, oils, and other contaminants.An effective skin cleanser device should clean the face more effectivelythan hand cleaning, but avoid abrasions or other harsh impacts on theskin.

SUMMARY

A skin cleanser includes one or more oscillating motors or otherelectromagnetic device that can provide the skin cleanser with variousfrequency pulsations, and an exterior that can be composed of a softelastic material, such as silicone, and one or more textured surfaces,including rounded touch-points of 0.5 to 2.5 mm of diameter, or solidsurfaces with ridges for cleaning or otherwise interacting with theskin. The oscillating motor moves or oscillates the textured surfacesfor application to a user's skin. As the user moves the skin cleanser onthe skin, the oscillating pulsations combined with the texturedsurfaces' touch-points remove oil and other contaminants on the skin'ssurface. The oscillating pulsations provide a tapping motion to theuser's skin to cleanse and loosen contaminants. The oscillations occurat around 50-300 Hertz (Hz). One embodiment includes a high-frequencyand a low-frequency oscillating motor or other electromagnetic devicethat may operate simultaneously or independently. The simultaneouspulsations provide a deep cleaning to the skin. While referred to hereas a skin cleanser, the device can also perform other functions besidescleansing, including massaging, exfoliating, buffing, stimulating,toning, exercising, heating, applying lotions or other substances, andso forth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a skin cleanser, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a back view of a skin cleanser, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are top and bottom views of a skin cleanser, according toone embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are views of one embodiment of a brash surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration fora skin cleanser.

FIG. 16 is a skin analyzer, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are views of one embodiment of a brash surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention forpurposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment. The skin cleanser directs pulsations to a user throughrounded touch-points on a brush, such as silicone brush 100. Thetouch-points and brush can be composed of various elastic materials,preferably materials that are soft and do not damage the skin, such assilicone. Silicone is used as an example throughout, though it isunderstood that other materials can be used, as well. The silicone brush100 is made of a hygienic silicone that is fast-drying andnon-absorbent, allowing the skin cleanser to be used with many skincleaning products without wear. The silicone brush 100 and otheruser-contacting portions of the skin cleanser may also include activeingredients, such as vitamin E, antioxidants, or silver nanoparticles.For example, the can be coated with these ingredients by the user orpre-coated, or can have a delivery mechanism in the brush that can storeand provide these ingredients upon use. A high- or low-frequencyoscillating motor 110 creates pulsations that vibrate the skin cleanser.The oscillating motor 110 in this embodiment provides vibrations between50 and 300 Hz, though pulsation frequencies higher and lower than thisrange may also provide beneficial cleansing of the skin. When the skincleanser, and the silicone brush 100 in particular, is applied to thebody, such as the face or neck, the pulsations provide a thoroughcleaning of the skin. The pulsations provide a tapping motion to theskin, in some embodiments, by providing impulses to the skin's surfacefrom the silicone touch-points 100 pulsating against the skin's surface.The tapping-based cleansing provided by the silicone brush provides adeeper clean that is less abrasive than scrubbing the skin with harsherbristles of other materials (e.g., nylon brush bristles). Frequencies inthis range provide deep facial cleansing of oil and dirt, unclogfollicles, and stimulate blood circulation and lymph flow within theskin.

The oscillating motor 110 is enclosed in a frame 120, which is enclosedby a casing including a top 130 and a bottom 140 made of a suitablematerial, such as plastic. In some embodiments, there is more than oneoscillating motor, which may vary from one another in frequency. Acontroller, such as a printed circuit board 150, provides control to theoscillating motor 110, which is powered by a battery 160. The battery160 is charged through a charging port, such as a DC jack 170.

The user interacts with the controller through controls on the exteriorof the skin cleanser (such as those shown in FIG. 3) or through awireless remote. When activated by the controls, the controllerinitiates a high-frequency vibration of the oscillating motor 110. Theuser may increase and decrease the frequency of vibration of the motorthrough controls to set the frequency desired by the user. The frequencyset by the user may be stored by the controller when the controller isdeactivated, such that the next time the controller is turned on thecontroller resumes the desired frequency.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a skin cleanser, according to oneembodiment. The skin cleanser in FIG. 2 includes similar components tothe skin cleanser in FIG. 1, and additional components as described.This embodiment includes a second oscillating motor 200 and a frame 210containing the second motor 200. In this embodiment, the second motor200 is capable of creating vibrations at a lower frequency relative tothe high-frequency oscillating motor 110. The second motor 200, forexample, produces pulsations of 50-130 Hz. The controller in thisembodiment may use the second motor 200 alone or in combination with thehigh-frequency motor 110 to create different vibration effects from theskin cleanser. Using the back-side of the brush, upward strokes on theskin, such as beneath the jaw line, allow the stronger combination ofhigh-frequency and lower-frequency vibration to tone and tightenunderlying musculature, such as that of the neck. Additional benefitscan range from stimulating collagen synthesis in fibroblast cells toimproving the flow of blood and lymphatic fluid—the result is healthier,younger-looking skin, such as in the known problem areas of the face,and a more sharply defined profile of the face. In one embodiment, theFIG. 2 device is a larger cleanser and the FIG. 1 device is a smaller ormini-cleanser.

The controller may also activate the lower-frequency motor alone. Thelower-frequency vibrations (e.g., in the range of 50-130 Hertz) inconjunction with ridged silicone brush may be used by a user on the skinto relax underlying musculature. In particular, when gently applied toexpression-line problem areas at the brow, temples and nasolabial folds,the skin cleanser can relax underlying muscles and reduce the appearanceof dynamic wrinkles. Thus, the high-frequency oscillating motor 110together with the second oscillating motor 200 may enable the skincleanser to provide a variety of modes and benefits to the user. In someembodiments, the motors 110, 200 can be used in an alternating fashionto provide alternating low and high frequency pulsations to thecleanser.

In one embodiment, a sensor is also included in the skin cleanser nearthe front or back of the skin cleanser (or both). The sensor may be apressure sensor, capacitive sensor, or similar, and detects a user'saction to activate the sensor, such as by contacting the body exteriorto the sensor. In one embodiment, the controller activates at least oneof the oscillating motors when the sensor is activated, permitting thedevice to automatically activate when the user activates the sensor.Multiple sensors may be included to activate different functions. Forinstance, in one configuration a sensor is located underneath eachtextured side of the skin cleanser and detects contact with thattextured side. Based on which sensor is activated, the controlleractivates an operational mode suitable for the side on which the sensorwas activated. For example, activating only the low-frequencyoscillating motor when one side is contacted, and simultaneouslyactivating the low- and high-frequency oscillating motors when the otherside is contacted.

FIGS. 3-9 illustrate various views of the exterior of a skin cleanseraccording to some embodiments. The exterior shown in FIGS. 3-9correspond to the internal configuration shown in FIG. 2. The exterioris formed of a sort but durable elastic material, such as a hygienicsilicone. The skin cleanser includes brush surfaces 300 and 400 on thefront and the back of the dev ice with varying textures, such astouch-points of 0.5-2.5 mm diameter, or solid ridged surfaces. The brushsurface 300 comprises a series of thinner touch-points for gentlecleansing of non-oily or sensitive skin, with an area of thickertouch-points grouped towards the top of the cleanser. Providing moreresistance than the thinner touch-points, the thicker touch-points allowfor more targeted cleansing of oilier areas and hard to-reach pointsaround the nose, ears and hairline. The pattern of touch-pointspresented in FIGS. 3-9 is one example of a pattern that might be used tocleansing of what is commonly referred to as “normal”skin. Normal skincan include some areas that are drier, oilier, or more sensitive, suchthat the different patterns of thinner and thicker touch-points can behelpful in targeting these areas (e.g., thinner touch-points for oilyareas around the nose). The thinner touch-points and thickertouch-points may vary in size and spacing. In various embodiments, thethinner touch-points are 25-80% thinner (e.g., 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%,etc. or values in between) compared to the thicker touch-points. Invarious embodiments, the thinner touch-points are spaced closer together(i.e., the distance between touch-points) by 15%-60%. Thus, the thinnerand thicker touch-points for the normal skin cleansing can also bearranged differently around the brush surface than is shown in FIGS.3-9. In one embodiment, the thicker touch points are between about 1.5mm and 2.5 mm in diameter, and the thinner touch points are betweenabout 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm in diameter.

The touch points and the body of the skin cleanser itself may becompressible and bendable, such that the touch points and body of theskin cleanser conform to the surface of the skin during use.

The brush surface 400 is a series of smooth silicone ridges arranged ina wave formation, intended to provide minimal abrasion and maximize thepulsation energy transfer, and the effectiveness of the dual-frequencytoning and low-frequency, muscle-relaxing functions. Thus, both surfaces300 and 400 of the brush can be used for skin cleansing, andspecifically for different applications of skin cleansing.

The front of the skin cleanser also includes a mode control 310 andfrequency controls 320. The mode control 310 activates the skin cleanserand is used to cycle through modes of operation for the skin cleanser,such as turning the cleanser on, activating the high-frequency andsecond lower-frequency motor both independently or in unison, andturning the skin cleanser off. Fewer, more, or different controls may beincluded for other embodiments. The skin cleanser may also activate amode that directs the user to cycle through portions of the face whenapplying vibrations through the skin cleanser. The base 330 of thecleanser may light up or otherwise indicate a prompt for the user tomove to another portion of the face. As one example, in this mode thatdirects cycling through the face, the cleanser may first indicate thatthe user should apply the brush to the area around the cheeks for aperiod of lime, and then may indicate that the user should apply thebrush to the area around the chin, and so forth until the user hascycled throughout the face. The cleanser can indicate when it is time toswitch by, for example, lighting up the base, blinking the light acertain number of times, or otherwise using the light to indicateinstructions to the user. Different cleaning regimens can be used fordifferent cleansers. For example, a sensitive skin cleanser might have acycle that is shorter in certain areas of the face to avoid irritatingthe face. A user might also have a program designed specifically for theuser's own skin, with shorter or longer application of the brush todifferent areas of the face as needed for that user's skin. The programdesigned for a user's skin may be assessed by the manufacturer andprogrammed to the controller according to a diagnostic of the user'sparticular skincare needs.

The brush surfaces are designed to efficiently channel thehigh-frequency vibrations into the skin to cleanse deeply, unblockfollicles, and to boost circulation and lymph flow. By avoiding abrasiveexfoliation (as used in other brush-type devices), the brush surfaceremains gentle enough to use for twice-daily facial cleansing or moreuses in the day, as needed. Relative to oilier cleansing devices, thisskin cleanser does not rely on a spinning or twisting action; the resultis a deeper clean without the need for such abrasive scrubbing. Thepulsations in combination with the textured surfaces, the elastic, softmaterial touch-points and the solid ridged surfaces provide thoroughcleansing, since (be textured surface directs the power of thehigh-frequency motor substantially orthogonal to the skin's surface,which unlocks the skin's natural potential. In one embodiment, thetouch-points of the textured surface vertically oscillate from the brushto the skin to create a tapping motion on the skin, similar to thelapping of fingertips on the skin or the palling with a towel or cottonpad. The vertical tapping of the skin in this embodiment provides agentle cleansing of the skin, as opposed to a rotating motion that cancause a less favorable twisting or stretching of the skin that may causedamage to or scratching of the skin surface.

The vertical tapping motion can be generated by the vibrations of themotor or of multiple motors, or other electromagnetic device in thebrush, by electromechanical mechanisms, among other means. For example,the motors can be positioned in the brush to cause the verticaloscillations of the touch-points, such as by positioning one or moremotors directly under or adjacent to the textured surface of the brush.The oscillation of the motor(s) can cause each of or at least some ofthe touch-points to move orthogonal to the skin's surface to tap theskin. Multiple motors can be arranged near the textured surface tocreate different motions or different speeds of vertical oscillationsacross the textured surface of the skin. For example, the motors can bepositioned so that different touch-point arrangements or patterns on thetextured surface can oscillate differently from one another to provideone type of tapping motion for some touch-points and a different type(e.g., different speed, pattern, etc.) for other touch-points. In someembodiments, each touch-point is a single structure rather than aplurality of structures, such as might be found in a brush where eachbrush bristle is made up of multiple bristle components arranged as abunch.

The skin cleanser body can be configured to have different shapes, suchas a substantially oval shape (e.g., FIGS. 3-9), a substantially roundshape (e.g., FIGS. 17-18), and so forth, and it includes a base 330 thatis substantially flat to allow the cleanser to be placed on and stand ona surface. The oval or round shape of the body allows the user to holdthe cleanser in the palm of her hand, possibly with fingers splayedalong the back side of the cleanser and thumb against the controls inthe front side of the cleanser. In some embodiments, the cleanser iswider than it is thick, as is shown, for example, in FIG. 5. Thisconfiguration allows the user to easily hold the cleanser in the palm ofher hand and reach her fingers around both side of the cleanser for easyand ergonomic manipulation of the cleanser against the skin. The bodycan thus have two components, the textured portions 300 and 400, and ahandle or portion for grasping or manipulating the device, whichincludes everything other than the textured portions 300, 400. Thetextured portion can comprise at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% or moreof the cleanser outer surface or of the front or of the back of thecleanser outer surface. The textured portion can be positioned on anupper portion or tip of the cleanser, such as is shown in FIGS. 3-9, butcan also be otherwise positioned (e.g., at the sides, in the middle, atthe bottom, etc.).

FIGS. 3-9 provide just one example of how the touch-points on the brushcan be arranged. A variety of other arrangements are also possible(e.g., thinner touch-points at the top and thicker at the bottom,thinner on one side and thicker on the other side, alternating rows ofthinner and thicker, various areas or groupings of thinner and thickerin different locations on the brush, and so forth). In addition,different types of touch-points can be included, such as taller orshorter touch-points, touch-points with more or less bulbous ends,touch-points with ends of different shapes (e.g., pointed, feathered,ridged, etc.), and so forth. Similarly, the touch-points can be arrangedmore or less densely, can be positioned on both the front and back ofthe brush, can be otherwise located on the brush (e.g., only in themiddle, only at the edges, etc.), among other variations. Some otherexamples of touch-point arrangements are shown in FIGS. 10-15. Inaddition, the ridges of brush surface 400 in FIGS. 3-9 (and for FIGS.10-15) can be arranged on one or both sides of the brash, can beotherwise located on the brush (e.g., only in the middle, only at theedges, etc.), can be positioned with the touch-points (e.g., above orbelow, or intermingled within the touch-points), can be formed intoother patterns or shapes or with different spacing, among othervariations.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser. This brush configuration isspecialized for men's facial skin. The brush on the front side, as shownin FIG. 10, includes a series of thicker touch-points covering the wholefront surface, reflecting the additional cleansing normally required formen's oilier skin, with its larger pores and facial hair that act asmagnets for dirt and pollutants, making acne, blackheads and breakoutsmore likely to occur. Providing more resistance than the thinnertouch-points, they allow for firmer, deeper cleansing to meet thechallenges of a man's thicker skin. The resulting boost to the health ofthe skin can reduce the discomfort and irritation often associated with,for example, daily wet shaving. The brush on the back side, as shown inFIG. 11, includes a series of smooth silicone ridges arranged in a waveformation, intended to provide minimal abrasion and to maximize thepulsation energy transfer and the effectiveness of the dual-frequency(high-frequency and lower-frequency motor in combination) toning andlow-frequency, muscle-relaxing functions.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser. This brush configuration isspecialized for skin with some oilier areas. The brush on the frontside, as shown in FIG. 12, includes a series of thinner touch-points forgentle cleansing of non-oily or sensitive skin, with an area of thickertouch-points grouped towards the top of the cleanser, as well as twoadditional waves of thicker touch-points. Providing less flexibilitythan the thinner touch-points, these allow for stronger cleansing andthe targeting of oilier areas and hard to-reach points around the nose,ears and hairline. The brush on the back side, as shown in FIG. 13,includes a series of smooth silicone ridges arranged in a waveformation, intended to provide minimal abrasion and maximize thepulsation energy transfer and the effectiveness of the dual-frequencytoning and low-frequency, muscle-relaxing functions.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser. This brush configuration isspecialized for sensitive skin. The brush on the front side, as shown inFIG. 14, includes a series of closely packed, smooth silicone ridges ina wave formation, designed to minimize abrasion and allow for theextra-gentle yet highly effective cleansing of even the most sensitiveskin. The brush on the back-side, as shown in FIG. 15, includes a seriesof smooth silicone ridges arranged in a wave formation, intended toprovide minimal abrasion and to maximize the pulsation energy transferand the effectiveness of the dual-frequency toning and low-frequency,muscle-relaxing functions. The smooth silicone ridges on the front sidein one embodiment are spaced closer to one another compared to thespacing of the ridges on the back-side. The ridges on the front side maybe spaced between 10-60% closer together (e.g., 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, etc.or values in between) relative to the spacing of the ridges on theback-side. In addition, the ridges on the front side are cushioned withadditional space between the soft elastic surface and the plastic casingin order to provide with extra-gentle cleansing.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are views of one embodiment of a brush surfaceconfiguration for a skin cleanser. This brush surface configurationcorresponds to the internal configuration shown in FIG. 1. The brush onthe front side, as shown in FIG. 17, includes a series of thinnertouch-points for gentle cleansing of non-oily or sensitive skin, with anarea of thicker touch-points grouped towards the top of the cleanser.The brush on the back side, as shown in FIG. 18, provides a series ofthicker touch-points allowing a deeper clean provided by the thickertouch-points to be applied to a larger area.

FIGS. 3-15 and 17-18 are just some examples of different brush surfaceconfigurations matched to different skin types. Other designs for otherskin types are also possible, such as a particular pattern for dry skin,for aging skin, for combination skin or T-zone skin (e.g., oilier aroundthe forehead, nose, and chin), among others. In some embodiments, thefront textured surface includes at least two different types oftouch-points (e.g., thicker and thinner). The touch-points of a type canbe grouped to provide a pattern. For example, FIG. 3 shows a group ofthicker touch-points at the tip of the cleanser and a group of thinnertouch-points below. Each pattern can correspond to a particular skintype (e.g., male, sensitive, oily, normal, etc.). In some embodiments,at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% of the front textured surface includestouch-points of a different type than the rest of the front texturedsurface.

The brush surface can also be designed to contour to the curves of thebody or face. In one embodiment, one or more surfaces of the brush,e.g., the textured surfaces, are deformable or bendable. For example,where the textured surface is composed of silicone, the surface cancompress or bend when pressed against the skin to mold to the surface ofthe skin for providing a deeper cleansing and for better cleaning ofskin surfaces that are curved. In other embodiments, the texturedsurface can be designed to pivot relative to the brush or to include oneor more portions that pivot such that the textured surface can mold tothe shape of the skin.

FIG. 16 is a skin analyzer according to one embodiment. The skinanalyzer is a handheld device capable of analyzing the skin of the user.The results of the skin analysis may be provided to the user to guideuse of the skin cleanser, for example by measuring effectiveness andoiliness of the skin after use. The skin analyzer is encased in a body1600 held by the operator of the skin analyzer. The skin analyzerincludes sensors 1610 that sense the skin's condition, such as oillevels, moisture content, and dead skin cell levels. The results of theskin analysis may be communicated to the user by connecting the skinanalyzer to a display or by wireless communication with a display orcomputer to direct the user in the use of a skin cleanser, such aswhether the skin cleanser is being used too frequently or to showimprovement of the skin over a period of time as the skin cleanser isapplied. The skin analyzer may also provide the results of the analysisvia an interface to the skin cleanser, which may be used to change thesuggested frequency of applying the skin cleanser to portions of theuser's face during cleansing. The cleanser can also include an interfaceto communicate with the skin analyzer, including sending informationabout how often it is used, what skin regimens or programs are used,etc.

In one embodiment, the skin analyzer can provide a diagnostic of theuser's particular skincare needs, such as by indicating skin type (e.g.,oily skin, oily skin in certain areas, sensitive skin, dry skin, dry incertain areas, male or female skin, normal skin, etc.) or by indicatingspecific details about the user's skin at different areas of the face ordifferent times of day (e.g., tends to be dry in the morning, tends tobe thin near the eye area, tends to be dry around the nose, etc.). Theskin analyzer data can be used to design a program or skincare regimenspecific to the user's skin. The program designed for a user's skin maybe assessed by the user or by a third party, such as the manufacturer ofthe skin cleanser or analyzer, a beautician, a dermatologist or othermedical personnel, etc. For example, information about the program canbe transmitted via the interface of the skin analyzer or skin cleanserto a computer of the user or third party for review and possiblerevision. The program or regimen (possibly as revised by the user orthird party) can be programmed to the controller of the skin cleanseraccording to the diagnostic of the user's particular skincare needs.

Additional features may also be included in the skin cleanser. In oneembodiment, the skin cleanser includes a heat-emitting source locatedbetween the body and the textured surfaces. The heat-emitting source,when activated by the controller, heats the textured surfaces and may beused in conjunction with the oscillations of the touch-points. In afurther embodiment, the skin cleanser includes a dosing mechanismintegrated in the body of the device to dispense liquids or solidsuspensions, such as for the delivery of silver nanoparticles, VitaminE, etc. as described above. The dosing mechanism may include areservoir, for example at the base of the skin cleanser, and a pump withan outlet to dispense contents of the reservoir to the textured surfacesor near the textured surfaces.

SUMMARY

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedisclosure.

The language used in the specification has been principally selected forreadability and instructional purposes, and it may not have beenselected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Itis therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not bythis detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on anapplication based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodimentsof the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, ofthe scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A skin cleanser having a skin cleanser body,comprising: a substantially flat base configured to stand unaided on asubstantially flat surface, said skin cleanser body having across-sectional shape that is longer in a first direction substantiallyparallel to the base than in a second direction substantially parallelto the base; a silicone exterior covering substantially all of anexterior of said skin cleanser body, the silicone exterior having atextured surface area that is integrally formed with the siliconexterior, the textured surface area comprising a set of touch-points; amotor disposed within said skin cleanser laxly configured to producepulsations of the skin cleanser; and at least one control disposed onsaid skin cleanser body configured to operate the motor.
 2. The skincleanser of claim 1, wherein the diameter of thee touch-points isbetween about 0.5 millimeters and about 2.5 millimeters.
 3. The skincleanser of claim 2, wherein the touch-points are integrally formed withthe silicone exterior.
 4. The skin cleanser of claim 1, wherein the baseis substantially transparent.
 5. The skin cleanser of claim 1, whereinthe motor is operable to oscillate within the range of about 50 to 300Hertz (Hz).
 6. The skin cleanser of claim 1, wherein the texturedsurface area of touch-points is compressible to contour to a surface ofa users skin.
 7. The skin cleanser of claim 1, wherein said skincleanser body is configured to be held in a hand of a user with a thumbof the user resting against a first side of the silicone, exterior andfingers of the user resting on a second side of the silicone exterior.8. The skin cleanser of claim 7, wherein the second side has a curvatureand is configured to be held in the palm of a user's hand.
 9. A skincleanser having a skin cleanser body, comprising: a substantially fiatbase configured to stand unaided on a substantially flat surface, saidskin cleanser laxly having a cross-sectional shape that is longer in afirst direction substantially parallel to the base than in a seconddirection substantially parallel to the base; a silicone exteriorcovering substantially all of an exterior of said skin cleanser body,the silicone exterior comprising a set of touch-points integrally formedwith the silicone exterior; a motor disposed within said skin cleanserbody configured to produce pulsations of the skin cleanser; and at leastone control disposed on said skin cleanser body configured to operatethe motor.
 10. The skin cleanser of claim 9, wherein the diameter of atleast two touch-points of the set of touch-points is between about 0.5millimeters and about 2.5 millimeters.
 11. The skin cleanser of claim10, wherein each touch-point of the set of touch-points hassubstantially the same diameter.
 12. The skin cleanser of claim 11,wherein the silicone exterior comprises a second set of touch-points.13. The skin cleanser of claim 12, wherein each touch-point of thesecond set of touch-points has substantially the same diameter.
 14. Theskin cleanser of claim 9, wherein the silicone exterior comprises a setof ridges.
 15. The skin cleanser of claim 11, wherein the set of ridgesincludes at least four ridges.
 16. The skin cleanser of claim 15,wherein at least a portion of each ridge of the set of ridges extendstowards the base from an end of said skin cleanser body opposite thebase.
 17. A skirt cleanser having a skin cleanser body, comprising: asubstantially flat base configured to stand unaided on a substantiallyflat surface, said skin cleanser body having a cross-sectional shapethat is longer in a first direction substantially parallel to the basethan in a second direction substantially parallel to the base; asilicone exterior covering substantially all of an exterior of said skincleanser body, the silicone exterior comprising a set of touch-points;and a motor disposed within said skin cleanser body configured toproduce pulsations of the skin cleanser.
 18. The skin cleanser of claim17, wherein the motor is operable to oscillate within the range of about50 Hertz to about 300 Hertz.
 19. The skin cleanser of claim 13, whereinthe set of touch-points forms a substantially semi-circular pattern. 20.The skin cleanser of claim 10, wherein the silicone exterior comprises asecond set of touch-points.